ZAP-70, CTLA-4 and proximal T cell receptor signaling in cows infected with Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis.

Paratuberculosis is a chronic intestinal disease of ruminant animals caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). A hallmark of paratuberculosis is a transition from a cell-mediated Th1 type response to a humoral Th2 response with the progression of disease from a subclinical to clinical state. The objective of this study was to investigate the expression of two crucial molecules in T cell function, ZAP-70 (zeta-chain-associated protein of 70 kDa) and CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4), in cows naturally infected with MAP. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from control non-infected cows (n=5), and cows in subclinical (n=6) and clinical stages of paratuberculosis (n=6) were cultured alone (medium only), and with concanavalin A, and a whole cell sonicate of MAP for 24, 72 and 144 h to measure the dynamic changes of ZAP-70 and CTLA-4 expression on CD4, CD8, and gamma delta (γδ) T cells. Flow cytometry was also performed to measure ZAP-70 phosphorylation to examine proximal T cell receptor signaling in animals of different disease status. The surface expression of CTLA-4 was increased in animals in subclinical stage of infection while levels of ZAP-70 were decreased in CD4+ T cells of both subclinical and clinical animals, indicating a change in T cell phenotype with disease state. Interestingly, proximal T cell receptor signaling was not altered in infected animals. This study demonstrated changes in crucial signaling molecules in animals infected with MAP, thereby elucidating T cell alterations associated with disease progression.

MicroRNA regulation of bovine monocyte inflammatory and metabolic networks in an in vivo infection model.

Bovine mastitis is an inflammation-driven disease of the bovine mammary gland that costs the global dairy industry several billion dollars per year. Because disease susceptibility is a multifactorial complex phenotype, an integrative biology approach is required to dissect the molecular networks involved. Here, we report such an approach using next-generation sequencing combined with advanced network and pathway biology methods to simultaneously profile mRNA and miRNA expression at multiple time points (0, 12, 24, 36 and 48 hr) in milk and blood FACS-isolated CD14(+) monocytes from animals infected in vivo with Streptococcus uberis. More than 3700 differentially expressed (DE) genes were identified in milk-isolated monocytes (MIMs), a key immune cell recruited to the site of infection during mastitis. Upregulated genes were significantly enriched for inflammatory pathways, whereas downregulated genes were enriched for nonglycolytic metabolic pathways. Monocyte transcriptional changes in the blood, however, were more subtle but highlighted the impact of this infection systemically. Genes upregulated in blood-isolated monocytes (BIMs) showed a significant association with interferon and chemokine signaling. Furthermore, 26 miRNAs were DE in MIMs and three were DE in BIMs. Pathway analysis revealed that predicted targets of downregulated miRNAs were highly enriched for roles in innate immunity (FDR < 3.4E-8), particularly TLR signaling, whereas upregulated miRNAs preferentially targeted genes involved in metabolism. We conclude that during S. uberis infection miRNAs are key amplifiers of monocyte inflammatory response networks and repressors of several metabolic pathways.

Expression of adhesion molecules on milk and blood lymphocytes from periparturient dairy cattle with Johne's disease.

Twelve dairy cows infected with Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis were monitored for lymphocyte subsets and expression of adhesion molecules on cells in blood and milk at parturition and at intervals up to 21 days post-partum. Using fluorescent antibody labeling of cells and analysis by flow cytometry, we determined percentages of T cell subsets (CD4+, CD8+, gammadelta+) and expression of adhesion molecules (CD62L, LFA-1, LPAM-1, and CD44) on cells from blood and milk of these cows. Significantly higher percentages of CD8+ cells were found in milk than in blood at all time points; there were no significant differences in percentages of CD4+ or gammadelta+ cells. CD62L, LFA-1, and LPAM-1 were expressed on a significantly higher percentage of all T cell subsets in milk than in blood at various times after parturition. No differences were seen in expression of CD44. Increased percentages of T lymphocytes expressing adhesion molecules in milk compared to blood suggest that a migratory population of cells is being selectively recruited to the mammary gland from the circulation.